THE police relied on witness accounts when it came to bringing Brown to court. Officers were first alerted to the armed robbery when two young lads - in the shop at the time Brown struck - managed to slip outside unnoticed and raise the alert

THE police relied on witness accounts when it came to bringing Brown to court.

Officers were first alerted to the armed robbery when two young lads - in the shop at the time Brown struck - managed to slip outside unnoticed and raise the alert, calling the police on a mobile phone.

And many eyewitnesses came forward, keen for their accounts to go on record.

"We appreciate the help the Journal gave us publicising the appeals. It was important to get witnesses and the Journal helped us with that," said DS Hall.

Just a week later, an extensive search of the town produced damning forensic evidence, which linked Brown to the crime and gave officers a name to fit their profile.

But it was the town's CCTV footage - capturing a shot of his unmasked face - that secured his prosecution. There was no way of wriggling out of the crime he had committed.

DS Hall said: "We had specialist officers from all over the force working with us. We ran it like a major investigation. People were working into the early hours, then coming back into work early the following morning.

"We managed to get enough CCTV images to show his basic route. We knew he went through the Magnolia Centre, but we didn't have any physical identification.

"Hours and hours of work continued, even after he was charged. This work paid off, as it resulted in our finding CCTV footage, showing the suspect's face, following which he pleaded guilty.